Traffic sign



May 1, 1928. 1,568,288

F. J. SCHRANK TRAFFIC SIGN Filed Dec. s. 1926 v Fm} l I; 7 56.5 INVENTOR. I Ema/T Sc/m/wr Z 62 r I ATTORNEYS. /2

l desired warning legend thereon which will be directly in the path of the vehicle and.

Patented May 1, 1928.

UNITED STATES FRED SCHRANK, AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD TRAFFIC MARKER COMPANY, OF WICI-IITA, KANSAS, A CORPORATION OF KANSAS.

'rnarrrc SIGN.

Application filed December 3, 1926'. Serial No. 152,854.

should proceed. This case is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 4,669, filed January 26, 1925. v

The eneral object of the invention is to provide an effective sign having the accordingly, which the driver cannot fail to see, yet will not obstruct movement of vehicles over the street, road or pavement in any way, the sign to be capable of yielding in all directions under the load of a vehicle yield under the weight of the vehicle which may happen to ass thereover, no matter from what direction the sign happens to be engaged and to resume its normal position after the vehicle passes thereover.

A further object of the invention is to pro-- vide an effective means for mounting such signs in roads or pavements.

A further object is to provide means for mounting the sign from which the sign may be 'readily removed for replacement when worn out. or broken and, in addition, to provide a sign so formed as to permit of readymounting or removal from said means. i v The foregoing and obtained by the trafiic sign construction illustrated in the accompanying drawnings and described below. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific form thereof shown and described.

Of the accompanying drawings,

Fi re 1 is a front elevation of a sign embodying the invention shown mounted in a pavement; I r

Figure 2 is a plan thereof;

Figure 3 is a perspective viewof the sign per Se; l

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure ,1; and

Figure 5 illustrates the action of the sign under the load of a vehicle.

other 7 objects are 1 Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a sign of highly flexible, resilient, weather-proof material such as vulcanized rubber compounded to be of a toughness corresponding to that employed in tire treads and vulcanized either with or without, textile or other reinforcements therein. The sign 10 preferably is a comparatively thin sheet of rubber 11 of any suitable shape and, to facilitate replaceable mounting thereof, may have a ledge of rubber 12 integrally formed on its lower A legend for imparting any desired warning is provided on .the upperportion of sheet 11 as at 13 in any'suitable manner. The sign is thus adaptedto be embedded to a substantial depth in a pavement with the portion carrying the warning legend normally projecting upwardly therefrom.

The preferred type of mountin for the sign comprise a box-like frame 0% material, such as wood, metal plates, etc., including front and back members 14 and-15 and end members 16 and 17 adapted to be embedded in concrete, asphalt or other plastic medium capable of hardening to secure the frame in the pavement. A portion of a completed pavement can beremoved for embedding the sign therein or it may be embedded therein during construction of the pavement.

The front and back members 14 and 15 of the frame are spaced apart approximately the thickness of the sheet 11 plus the width of ledge 12, the ends 16 and 17 preferably just clearing the ends of the sign and the depth of the frame being approximately one-half the height of the s1 10. The frame accordingly defines an e ongated slot 18 in the avement into which sign 10 may be inserted. Totretain the sign 10 removably in place a clamping bar 19 is employed of a len h adapted to fit between the ends "16 and 1 ofthe frame ,with space indicated at 20 for the'insertionof a tool to engage the end of the bar to remove it, the bar being of a thickness somewhat greater than suitable when it is flexed. To mount a sign 10 in place, the lower ed is inserted in slot 18 until it rests upon t e bottom thereof. The bar 19 is then forced downwardly into the slot 18 in front of'the si n onto the ledge 12, compression of the rubber of the sheet 1L serving to hold the sign in place. To remove a sign, clamping bar 19 may be first pried out of the slot by inserting a tool across an end of the frame into the space 20 against one end of the clamping bar. The sign 10 can then be lifted out of the slot.

In use the sign is directly in the path of vehicles passing along the roadway where a driver cannot fail to see it. If a driver should happen to guide one of his wheels over the 51 it will flex downwardly easily without oie ring suflicient resistance or obstruction to the travel of the vehicle to be ap reciable to the driver or to result in ac- O1 ents fromjskiddin or other causes. Due to the resilience of the sign it will immediately spring upwardly to its normal position after the load is removed therefrom. It will flex under the load of a vehicle no matter what the angle of approach may be and it will not injure vehicle tires in any way.

Modifications of the invention maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the sco e of the appended claims.

What is claime is: I

1. A traflic si n construction-com rising a frame embedded ina pavement to efine an elongated slot therein, a sign of flexible, resilient, weather-proof sheet material adapted to be inserted in said slot so as to project upwardly above the pavement, said sign having an integral ledge formed along the lower edge thereof, and means for securing the si in said slot com rising a clamping bar a apted to be forcetted between the si and one frame member onto said led e, said bar being sufiiciently of lesser lengt than the slot to admit. 'a prying tool into the slot into engagement with one end thereof.

2.-A traflic sign construction comprising a frame embedded in a pavement to define an elongated slot therein, a sign of flexible, resilient, weather roofsheet material adapted to be inserte in said 'slot so as to pro ect upwardly above the pavement, said sign having an integral ledge formed along the lower edge thereof, and means for securing the sign in said slot comprisin a clamping bar adapted to be force-fitted tween the sign and one frame member onto I said ledge. 3. A traffic construction comprising a frame embedd in a pavement to efine an elongated slot therein, a sign of flexible, re-' silient, weather-proof sheet material adapted to be inserted in said slot so'as to projectupwardly above the pavement, and means for securing the sign 1n said slot comprisin a clamping bar adapted to be force-fitted frame embedde tween the sign and one frame member, said I bar being sufliciently of lesser length than the'slot to admit a rying tool into the slot into engagement wit one end thereof 4. A trailic si n construction com rising a d in a pavement to efine an elongated slot therein, a sign of flexible, re-

silient, weather-proof sheet material adapted to be inserted in said slot so as to-project upwardly above the avement, and means for securing the sign in said slot comprising) a clamping bar ada ted to be forcetted tween the si an one frame member.

5.'A tra c sign construction including means providin a slot in a road or pavement a sign 0 flexible, resilient, weatherproof material adapted to be inserted in said slot so as to project upwardly therefrom and having traffic-directing indicia upon the upwardly rojecting portion, and means for removab y securing the sign in the slot.

6. A traflic sign com rising a sheet ol' flexible, resilient, weat erroof material partially embedded in a roa way so as normally to project upwardl therefrom and having traflic-directmg indicia upon the up- .wardly projecting portion thereof.

7. A traffic sign comprising a sheet of rubber partially embedded in a roadwa so as normally to roject upwardly there rom and having tralhc-directing indicia upon the upwardly projecting portion thereof.

8. The combination with a roadway of a traflic sign partial] embedded therein so as to project u war 1 therefrom, said sign being of flexi le resilient weatherproof material capable of flexing downwardly under the load of a vehiclepassing thereover withv out appreciably obstructing passage of the vehicle.

9. In combination, a rooved ground-portion having curved bending shoulders, at its edges and a flexible'sign anel anchored in the groove bendable over t e shoulders.

10. A traflic warning signal permanently attached to the road-way having a base member with its upper face substantially flush with the surface of the road-way and an embedded elastic display member extending upwardly therefrom.

11. A sign comprisin a flexible panel and 

